Valacyclovir Caplets may be given without regard to meals.

Herpes Zoster: The recommended dosage of Valacyclovir for the treatment of herpes zoster is 1 gram orally 3 times daily for 7 days. Therapy should be initiated at the earliest sign or symptom of herpes zoster and is most effective when started within 48 hours of the onset of zoster rash. No data are available on efficacy of treatment started greater than 72 hours after rash onset.

Genital Herpes: Initial Episodes: The recommended dosage of Valacyclovir for treatment of initial genital herpes is 1 gram twice daily for 10 days.

There are no data on the effectiveness of treatment with Valacyclovir when initiated more than 72 hours after the onset of signs and symptoms. Therapy was most effective when administered within 48 hours of the onset of signs and symptoms.

Recurrent Episodes: The recommended dosage of Valacyclovir for the treatment of recurrent genital herpes is 500 mg twice daily for 3 days.

If medical management of a genital herpes recurrence is indicated, patients should be advised to initiate therapy at the first sign or symptom of an episode. There are no data on the effectiveness of treatment with Valacyclovir when initiated more than 24 hours after the onset of signs or symptoms.

Suppressive Therapy: The recommended dosage of Valacyclovir for chronic suppressive therapy of recurrent genital herpes is 1 gram once daily in patients with normal immune function. In patients with a history of 9 or fewer recurrences per year, an alternative dose is 500 mg once daily. The safety and efficacy of therapy with Valacyclovir beyond 1 year have not been established.

In HIV-infected patients with CD4 cell count =100 cells/mm3, the recommended dosage of Valacyclovir for chronic suppressive therapy of recurrent genital herpes is 500 mg twice daily. The safety and efficacy of therapy with Valacyclovir beyond 6 months in patients with HIV infection have not been established.

Reduction of Transmission: The recommended dosage of Valacyclovir for reduction of transmission of genital herpes in patients with a history of 9 or fewer recurrences per year is 500 mg once daily for the source partner. Patients should be counseled to use safer sex practices in combination with suppressive therapy with Valacyclovir. The efficacy of reducing transmission beyond 8 months in discordant couples has not been established.

Cold Sores (Herpes Labialis) The recommended dosage of Valacyclovir for the treatment of cold sores is 2 grams twice daily for 1 day taken about 12 hours apart. Therapy should be initiated at the earliest symptom of a cold sore (e.g., tingling, itching, or burning). There are no data on the effectiveness of treatment initiated after the development of clinical signs of a cold sore (e.g., papule, vesicle, or ulcer).